Samsung Accuses Chinese Company of Infringing Patents in iPhone Displays: Report

BOE Technology, a Chinese competitor, has been sued by Samsung Display for allegedly violating five display-related patents used in mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone 12.

Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung Electronics, asked a federal jury in Texas to award damages for infringing organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display patents supplied by BOE. Samsung is also demanding an order from the court to stop the import and sale of the screens in question.

The case was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for East Texas, which has a reputation for speedier hearings and case decisions.

Apple has used OLED displays in some of its Apple Watch and iPhone models, including the latest iPhone 14. Apple says that OLED offers high resolution and allows for a thinner display than a traditional display.

According to market researcher Media, the OLED display market is dominated by Samsung Display, and BOE is narrowing the gap and overtook South Korea’s LG Display as the second largest player last year.

“Samsung Display has suffered and continues to suffer irreparable harm as a result of defendants’ infringement of the ‘599 patent, for which there is no adequate remedy at law unless this court enjoins defendants from infringement,” according to the suit. says, referring to the 599 patent, which improves the image quality of the device.

In December, Samsung Display filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission alleging patent infringement by several companies selling OLED displays as replacement screens for mobile devices, prompting the agency to open an investigation.

Samsung and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Samsung Display CEO Choi Kwon-young said in January last year that the company is actively looking for ways to get compensation for its intellectual property in response to an analyst’s question about growing competition in the mobile OLED display market.

South Korea is a manufacturing powerhouse from chips and displays to cars, but South Korean companies have had to face a growing threat from Chinese competitors.

Prosecutors said last month that a former Samsung Electronics executive was charged with stealing the company’s technology for a copycat chip factory in China and endangering national financial security.